Indianapolis Colts Keep Mike Vanderjagt

Published 7:00 pm, Thursday, February 13, 2003

AP Sports Writer

Colts kicker Mike Vanderjagt agreed to restructure his contract to help a team whose coach and quarterback he lambasted last month.

Team president Bill Polian and coach Tony Dungy met with Vanderjagt to try to smooth things over, then issued a written statement: "Mike has expressed his overwhelming desire to remain a Colt. He has assured us he will do whatever Tony feels is necessary to contribute to the franchise."

In a Canadian cable TV interview the week after the Super Bowl, Vanderjagt _ the most accurate kicker in NFL history _ said Dungy is too nice to be effective, starting QB Peyton Manning should show more emotion, and other Colts players lack a passion for the game.

Manning responded during the Pro Bowl, telling ABC-TV, "He's a good kicker, but he's an idiot."

By redoing his contract, Vanderjagt gave the Colts more flexibility under the NFL's salary cap, which is expected to be about $75 million.

He signed a five-year, $7.75 million deal in November 2000 that would have put his 2003 base salary at $1.4 million. But under the new deal, Vanderjagt's base salary next season will drop to $530,000, according to the NFL Player's Association.

Colts officials declined comment on the salary figures, and Vanderjagt's agent, Gil Scott, did not immediately return phone messages left at his office Friday.

Vanderjagt has made 85.1 percent of his career field-goal attempts. He was a career-worst 23-of-31 last season, though.

In a series of phone calls last week, Manning and Vanderjagt apologized to each other and said they had worked out their differences. Vanderjagt took the next step this week when he requested a meeting with Dungy and Polian.

"He expressed to us, as he did with Peyton, his regret at having spoken as he did," Dungy and Polian said in the statement. "We believe he is sincere in his statements, and he is therefore in good standing."

Vanderjagt also had expressed concern for his job security. The Colts signed free agent Brett Conway, an NFL journeyman, before Vanderjagt made his disparaging comments.